Musings on 100, Part VIII

When I returned from my 7 hour run on Friday, Rachel saw me and said I looked like I had aged 5 years. "What are you going to look like after running 24 hours?" she asked. When I looked in the mirror I saw that my eyes were bloodshot. I also had some strange looking pimples on my upper thighs. I guessed the bloodshot eyes had to do with my allergies starting up, and also the windy day drying out my eyes. I have no idea about the pimples, but they cleared up after one day, and my eyes look better now, too.

It only took 2 days to fully recover from the 7 hour run. This morning I went over to the track (No school today so the track would be empty) and did my normal 150m hard 50m easy repeated until exhaustion. My legs had no stiffness or soreness, and I ran faster than I have all year. The cool weather helped, it was only 70 degrees with low humidity. The 100m sprints I did after the 150's went well, too, I had some pop in my legs which allowed me to relax and run fast.

Seeing that a 7 hour run on a hilly course did little damage, I feel I am ready to knock off a 50 mile race. But I am running a 100 miler in less than 3 weeks, so even though my fitness is reaching a good height, I don't know if it will be close to what is needed. Oh well, the time for fretting is over, I just have to show up in good shape, not injured, and then run as best I can.

I decided that I will think of the race without a time or a distance, the reason being I most likely won't make the full distance. So when I hit the 30 mile mark and my legs are starting to feel trashed, I won't be thinking I have 70 more miles to go, but rather, I will go as far as my legs will take me. This will help allay the awful images which could destroy my will at miles 55-75. There is still so much distance left, and I will be feeling a lot of pain, but instead of thinking I have 45 stinkin' more miles left, I instead can imagine that I can run one more mile, 400 more yards, or even, one more step. Instead of my will being deflated by the outlook of a dreary future, it should stay strong if it is cemented in the present.

Musings on 100, Part VII

The rental car agency called me on Thursday to let me know that they ran out of cars, so I was out of luck making the 3 hour drive to Blackwell. Rachel had to work today so I drove her car to Kickapoo State Park and hoped to get a long, tough run in. Kickapoo is the better choice to train on as the terrain is similar to the 100 mile course (hilly, rocky, rooty), so I wasn't too disappointed with going there.

I arrived at 8:30am, the sky mostly blue, and it was cool at 58-60 degrees. I started my run at 8:45, and hit the Out and Back trail first, but changed it up a bit by turning right on the haul road instead of left at mile 2, which led me to the beginning of the mountain bike course. The bike trails are tougher than the running/hiking trails, more hills, narrow pathways, and lots of sharp twists and turns. I ran 5 miles of bike trails before coming out at the far end of the Out and Back, so I had 3 miles to get back to the car, making for a 10 mile loop. I ran this without food or water, so refueled at the car before heading out on the road loop, which covers the Mountain Goat course. I ran the 2 big hills, along with some rollers and longer, more gradual inclines/declines.

I ran these first 2 segments strong, cruising at a comfortable, yet speedy pace for a long run. I tried to keep it slow, but my cardio has improved over the last 2 months due to speed work, so running quicker does not take anything more out of me than running a slower pace.

I refueled at the car again after the Goat loop, and headed out on River View loop, which is 4-5 miles. I was still running strong, and when I returned to the car I had to decide whether to continue, and if so, which loop to run. My legs were starting feel fatigued, but everything else was good, so I decided to do the 10 mile Out and Back/bike loop again.

By the time I got to the bike path my legs felt like they usually do after 6 hours of running, weak and achey. The day was getting warmer, and halfway through the loop I was out of water. The discomfort in my legs was becoming intense due to the hills and tricky terrain. I was still running most sections, but I was now walking steep uphills. When I left the bike paths I was relieved, it seemed to take forever to get out of the dark forest. I still had 3 miles to go, and those miles were not easy. I decided to walk the last 1.5 miles as my cool down.

When I finished the run I checked the clock and saw that I had run for almost 7 hours. I was pleased with that, as I put my upper limit at 8 hours. While I normally would be pleased with such a training run, knowing that I have to run 3-4 times as long at the 100 miler has me questioning my sanity.

I can see from today's effort that a major obstacle to running 100 miles is leg strength. I doubt I have strong enough leg muscles to tolerate 100 miles. After only 7 hours my legs were already weak. While the soreness was not bad, I could sense that another 5 hours of running would have put my legs into a serious state of pain. After 12 hours of running my legs will be shot to hell, and I can't understand how I can run another 12-15 hours on legs that can barely move.

Thinking back to the 100 mile race reports I have read, most runners experience this leg pain, it is the main obstacle in completing the race. I know it will be for me. Due to this I am revising my finishing odds to 10/90. I don't know why I give myself a 10% chance to finish, maybe it should be 1%.

Musings on 100, Part VI

I was wanting to run a speed session this afternoon, but I woke this morning with a peculiar stiffness in my right leg. On my walk to work the leg felt a little off, and while at work I was having trouble bending it, as if it were some kind of circulation problem. I stretched it out while sitting in my chair, and by the time I left at 10:30 it was feeling better. The walk home went ok, but I decided to skip today's run, believing rest would be more beneficial.

Tomorrow I won't do anything but be lazy, so 2 days off will hopefully have me feeling strong for my big Friday workout at Blackwell.

I was planning to use Rachel's bike light as my light source for the 100 mile race, but when I took it out for a test run I found that I could barely see the path in front of my feet. Thinking about it, a good light source is probably just as important as a good pair of shoes - if I can't see the path I will probably trip on roots and rocks and ruin my race. So I ordered a Black Diamond head lamp yesterday.

The Hallucination 100 being only 1 year old, I have found only one race report on it. But what a race report - the guy is a great writer, a barefoot enthusiast, and even wrote a book on barefoot running. When I first read the report I thought it was a joke due to the screwball ideas this guy has about running a 100 mile race. However, after reading most of his other blog entries, I realized that the report was indeed true. I thus reread it with interest and focus.

Some of the unorthodox things he did before/during the 100 mile race :

• "I experimented with every food I could imagine. I found a good selection: ice cream, pancakes, and hot dogs. " - are you kidding me?! This sentence alone made me think the report was fake. Who the hell eats that on a regular old day, let alone during a 100 mile race?
• "We ran to McDonald's to grab a quick bite to eat. Quarter-Pounders are a favorite pre-race food of mine." - haha...
• "Eventually we ended up at the Dexter Bar. Going on the theory that carb-loading is good and beer has carbs, I drank two tall Killian's to wash down the order of Nachos we ordered." - hahahahah......
• We hung out there for a little while, got hungry, then headed to the Fenton House restaurant for pizza and beer. As it turns out, they don't serve beer. WTF? At least their bread sticks were to die for. The parmesan dip was Heavenly. " - I don't know if running 100 miles the next day will burn off all the calories he is consuming....
• "We started talking about the race logistics. At this point, I began to realize I really hadn't planned much of anything."
• "At McDonalds, they actually f-ed up the coffee machine. We told them we'd be back, then got the coffee from Speedway. Busy place for 3:15 on a Saturday morning. Anyway, we picked up the Mickey D's coffee and headed back to Jason's house. I scarfed down a cream cheese coffee cake and my 24 ounce cappuccino" - My stomach is queasy....
• "my crew couldn't resist teasing me about the "GAP" sweatshirt I was wearing. It's a good-luck charm, damn it! Every other runner and most of their pacers and crew were wearing running attire. I was dressed in clothes that appeared to be pulled from a "lost and found" bin at a Walmart." - this just gets better and better
• "After about 45 minutes or so, we hit the first aid station ("Grace"). It was a zoo! My crew was eagerly awaiting our arrival. There was considerable confusion as the crew tried to accomplish each task. I swapped the water bottle of my Nathan handheld with a full bottle and guzzled about two cups of a Ben and Jerry's Cookies and Cream/milk concoction." - italics are mine
• "I suddenly started to crash. It was totally unexpected... it hit me like a boxer that aimed a little too low below the belt. My pace slowed, I didn't have any energy, and my motivation suddenly disappeared. This wasn't supposed to happen this early! I started to panic. As the lap progressed, I went through my mental checklist of possible causes. I was going okay with hydration and electrolytes. I had plenty of calories. Maybe it was a sudden blood sugar crash due to 3000 calories of coffee cake and ice cream I ate." - italics are mine again - sounds about right.
• "Eventually I did start feeling better. Still suspecting the sugar buzz as the culprit, I was leery about the remainder of the Ben and Jerry's shakes. When I got to the first aid station on lap two, I took one sip and nearly gagged."
• "Shelly brought me the canister of chia seeds. I didn't think about the best method to eat them, so i just took a scoop and dumped it in my mouth. It felt a little like eating fine kitty litter. I immediately gagged, then choked on the tiny seeds that instantly absorbed the saliva from my mouth. I instinctively tried to swallow which only caused me to cough. Seeds sprayed everywhere! " hahahahahahahahahahahahah......

While I don't see myself following any of the things this guy did in his race, the fact is, he finished his first 100! I picked out the funny/loony things from his report, but the descriptions of the trails, aid stations, his thoughts while racing, were detailed and helpful. He says the course is hilly and rocky, so I know not to expect something flat, soft, and smooth.

It is going to be a tough race.

Musings on 100, Part V

Yesterday I was wondering what type of workout to do. I have been doing speed stuff lately, and it is bringing my fitness to a good level. I planned to do some hard 400's on the arboretum dirt roads, but I felt there was a better workout, but could not remember what it was. Walking to work I realized a medium distance South Farms loop (12 miles) was the workout that I had forgotten about. So I laced up my road shoes after work and ran my best loop of the year. I was able to run faster than normal, yet with a moderate level of exertion - the speed sessions are working.

During the run I felt tension in my right foot near the big toe. I took off my shoe to empty out rocks at the 10 mile mark and discovered that when I bent the big toe I could feel discomfort. When I finished the run I iced the foot off and on for the rest of the day.

While at work today I decided a barefoot walk up and down the arboretum hill would be the perfect workout for my foot. I walked the hill at noon for 75 minutes in high humidity and my foot felt fine, so I am hoping that the discomfort is a quickly passing thing.

Tomorrow's workout will be 150m hard followed by a 50m jog, repeated until exhaustion. I had been doing this at the track, but now that school is back in session I am running it on the arboretum dirt roads.

Friday is a big day, I am driving to Blackwell in Warrenville for a long workout. I will arrive around noon, and plan to run and walk until dusk, with some of the run/walk being up and down Mt. Hoy. I am hoping that by returning to the training ground of my youth the fire in my heart will burn brighter, and the inspiration thus gained will help sustain me during the 100 mile race.

Musings on 100, Part IV

Reading the blogs of some of the best runners in the world is a privilege. I learn about their training methods, diet ideas, the psychology of running when a race really is a race. Average runners like me don't really race, it is more of a personal journey in reaching one's potential, but the elite are vying to cross the line first, to be the best in the world.

Reading their blogs I also glimpse their human side, the times they fall short, get lazy, or train too hard resulting in injury. In a recent 100 mile race one of the top distance runner's in the USA dropped due to lack of motivation, as she put it "my head and heart were not in it". I can recall only two other times when I have read something like this, one from a local ultra runner who gave up at the McNaughton 100 because he wondered to himself after mile 30, "why am I out here, I would rather be watching soccer on tv", so he quit and went home to watch sports on tv. The other runner is from Minnesota and prides himself on being a tough guts runner, a guy who will finish a race with a broken leg. This particular race, the Lean Horse 100, he dropped at mile 25 because he "did not feel like running". Later in the day he hiked for 10-15 miles up a mountain because he had a lot of energy and didn't know what to do with himself while his friends were still running the race.

What I find confusing about this is that they did not seem to feel any kind of remorse or sense of failure. Perhaps they did, but they never wrote about it in their blog (the elite runner has yet to blog about her decision to drop, so I don't know how she feels about it). The local guy sometimes mentions failure, but the kind of failure that exists only when one has the wrong attitude (goals are based on external circumstances). He recently ran the Howl and was hoping to run above 40 miles. He ended up with 33, and considered this a failure. However, I saw him on the course, I could see he was not feeling well, but he did not give up, and he ran the full 8 hours, pretty amazing when your feeling sick and low. In my mind the Howl was a success, and the McNaughton race a failure. He never mentioned the McNaughton race as a failure, yet it can be nothing but a failure - the moment he stopped trying, he failed. He did not have an injury, was not feeling ill, the weather was not bothering him, he just did not feel like finishing what he started. It would be like Churchill giving up against the Nazis in '41 because he was tired of the whole mess (fortunately this did not happen!)

I have yet to experience quitting a race due to lack of motivation. I could have dropped from the Devil's Lake race last year due to a painful knee, but the desire to finish was stronger than the pain I was experiencing. I am glad I did not drop because struggling with pain is something which makes me stronger and hardens my will.

If I ever write a race report which starts out, "I went to run the race, felt great, but dropped out because I didn't feel like being there", I will surely count it as a failure. If I do experience that kind of failure, I am sure I will feel regret the next day, but the next race I will get another chance to fight it out to the end. There is no shame in failing, as long as I forgive myself and move on to the next challenge.

Musings on 100, Part III

Having written about setting a proper goal in order to achieve a correct state of mind in athletic competition, I need to set down my own specific goals for the upcoming 100 mile race.

This being my first 100 mile attempt, I have no illusions as to finishing. All of the 1st time attempts I have read in race reports are 50/50. For myself, I initially laid odds at 40/60, and even though I am getting fitter and currently running strong, I have revised the odds to 25/75. The reason for this is my weekly mileage is low. Running every other day the miles have no option but to remain on the low side. However, when I include walking, which I do on off days, the total mileage is more encouraging.

The main goal : To try my best to finish. The focus will be on my effort to get to the 100 mile mark. If I stop at mile 25, 50, or 75, I will ask myself when the race ends - "did I try my best to go 100 miles?" If I answer yes, the day will have been a success.

Musings on 100, Part II

My recent running has been going well. I ran 8 x 1000m hard loops at Busey Woods on Thursday. I could have pushed to 12 or even 15, but 8 seemed perfect, it left me feeling refreshed and energetic. Yesterday I ran 16 hill sprints at the arboretum - 100m at 5k speed to get to the base of the hill, 75m up the hill, and then 75m all out sprint going down the hill and 100m beyond. Unlike the Busey Woods workout, 16 was pretty much my limit. I could have maybe reached 18-20, but it would have been pushing too far. I felt the magical mixture of exhaustion and strength after, and realized I am easing into a high mark of fitness.

As I walked the cemetery hill this morning (2 hours 45 minutes) I mused upon the upcoming 100. A proper attitude and outlook is one of the most important things to be in possession of during training and race day. Seeing that every living thing occupies a unique position in time and space, it is obvious that there are no easy ways to obtain this strength and health of mind, because nobody can give a definitive step by step plan - what works for you, won't work for me.

However, there are generalities which can be used as guide posts to help us along the way, and these markers are usually found in religious and philosophical ideas. I gravitate most strongly to the Zen philosophy of achieving the proper attitude toward life. Bukowski's grave stone sums it up nicely - "Don't Try". What this means is not to try for the things which will cause misery - don't try for wealth, fame, the approval of others. If it comes, fine, if not, that also is fine. The thing to strive for is giving one's best efforts in things one loves to do. Results don't matter, or if they do, just as a curiosity and a way to quantify external circumstance.

What brings misery is allowing myself to be controlled by external circumstance. 25 years ago I realized that how I phrase a goal is an important part of obtaining the correct attitude. To state a goal which has an external result as the main focus, will bring misery. A few examples - "my goal is to beat runner x in a 50k"; "my goal is to finish the 50k in under 6 hours"; "my goal is to finish a 100 mile foot race". All of these goals will bring misery, or at best, a fleeting joy. No peace of mind can be gained from them, therefore they are incorrect and need to be rephrased. What I discovered was that if the 4 words " to try my best" are placed in front of the above mentioned goals, it negates the control external circumstance has over my life, and puts my own will as the sole focus of any endeavor. "My goal is to try my best to beat runner x in a 50k", no longer gives control to runner x, and runner x no longer is the main focus in my mind. What I now need to struggle with is my own will to achieve that goal. What is required is to train intelligently, putting in the greatest effort possible, and when race day comes to give every ounce of strength to try to defeat runner X. Regardless of the result, the only thing that concerns me is that I did everything possible to defeat runner X. Whether I defeated him or not does not matter, what matters is my effort.

I find it surprising that most of the running blogs I read are full of goals which create misery in the runner. I was reading a talented runner's blog and found that her DNF at the Big Horn 100 caused her inner pain and misery, which was a result of the goals she set up in her mind. Even if she was the fastest runner on the planet, I would not switch places with her because the things that matters most, the quality of her inner life and how she feels about running and living, was a complete mess. Here are a few lines from her blog :

"I got out of it began to get feeling back in my hands and legs but never came around. I gave myself miles of emotional abuse wondering if I am just simply wimping out and letting myself and everyone else down. Wondering if failure was defining me. The emotional thrashing lasted a really long time. The battle between my body and my mind was intense and absolutely raw. Trying to separate the two and figure out how pull myself around was incredible and frustrating. It was a wicked ride. I gave it all I had."

The final line of the above reveals that instead of being a "failure", she was an absolute success. She was attempting a difficult and awesome thing, and gave it all she had, yet her inner life was constructed so that success and failure hinged upon things which were out of her control - the weather, the weariness and pain in her body, the terrain of the course. Her later blog entries reveal that for weeks she experienced emotional pain because the goal of finishing had not been met. Had she simply placed the words "to try my best" in front of her stated goal, she would have bypassed all of the pain and misery which she heaped upon herself. The results would have been the same, or, she possibly could have finished. She wasted so much energy on emotionally abusing herself during the race due to her misguided goal, that if she had focused solely on trying her best to finish, maybe she could have done it.

In my experience those 4 words, "to try my best", allows me to put forth a supreme effort, and the results, which are secondary and looked at for curiosity, usually surpass my initial expectations. I am convinced that by trying to give one's greatest effort in any endeavor, the best possible results will occur. Failure is not a permanent thing, and when it does occur it resides solely in lack of effort. When a lack of effort happens, it is only for a few moments, and as long as I am still alive and breathing, I can try anew, the failure as fleeting as a passing cloud in an otherwise blue sky.

Musings on 100, Part I

Now that I am committed to running a 100 mile race, my thoughts have turned to the details - how to train, what to wear, shoes, blisters, food consumption, drop bags, what kind of light source to use for the night run. Perhaps even more important than the physical items is the need to find the correct attitude - a way of experiencing the race which fits with who I am.

The many 100 mile race reports which can be found on the internet is a blessing, and I am grateful to all of the people who take the time to write and share them. Some people like to socialize as they run, others listen to music, some wear their watches and habitually look at their wrists to see if they are hitting their goal pace. Runners with backpacks filled with enough supplies to last a week in the wilderness contrasted with the minimalist gurus who run barefoot and don't carry anything except a water bottle. The runner who carries a camera and stops to make pictures every 2 miles. The ones who eat fancy sounding, processed "energy" foods (Perpetuem, Boost, Ensure, Vespa), and more often than not their blogs are advertising said products.

What I have discovered is that there is no miracle food, no magic shoes, no fool proof method to prevent blisters or upset stomach (although some who write lovingly about drinking Ensure or Boost at mile 15 later in the report write of vomiting and shitting uncontrollably at mile 30, which makes it appear that these products have joined Olestra in the "pay lots of money for a product which makes your stomach hurt and bowels explode, and do it with a smile on your face" category). Each runner has to cut their own path through the wilderness of misinformation, propaganda, and devious marketing.

The Hallucination 100

A few days ago I decided it was time to attempt a 100 mile foot race, and I chose the Hallucination 100 in Hell, Michigan, September 24-26. There were some things about this particular event which made me hesitate, but it was the closest to home of the races which I considered, which made it the least expensive.

One of the things which I don't care for is the amount of races going on over the weekend, everything from 5/10k to 50 mile. Seeing people on the trail who are fresh as daisies while I am on mile 75 (if I am lucky enough to get that far) may have a negative effect on my state of mind. However, knowing other 100 mile runners will still be on the course may make those fresh runners a mute point.

The theme for the race is Woodstock, 1969, there will be live music and trippy people hanging out all weekend. I am hoping the mood/theme does not take me out of my mental comfort level, as I don't like being around groups of people whose main focus is talking and eating. I will be there to run 100 miles, and everything else which happens is secondary.

I believe the above are minor things which won't negatively affect me, so I am excited about my decision to attempt something which I have been thinking about for over 20 years.

I decided my training for the next 5 weeks will be moderate, yet intense. I will run every other day, the days I don't run will be spent walking up and down the 2 hills in town.

I plan on visiting Blackwell forest preserve in Warrenville (western suburb of Chicago) 3 weeks before the race. I hope to run 4-8 hours, some of it being up and down Mt. Hoy, the largest hill in the area. I spent weekends at Blackwell in my early 20's running and hiking, and it was there that I literally ran into a man who was training for a 100 mile race. He planted the idea into my head that one day maybe I too could attempt to run 100 miles - I am now finally going to try.

Tough Day at the Mahomet Half

The running season is starting to heat up - important decisions, plenty of race opportunities, and of course the weather.

This morning I ran the Mahomet Half and had a challenging, fun time. The morning started out misty and warm, and the cloud cover soon disappeared and the humidity soared, which made for some tough running.

I recently bought racing shoes for asphalt running (Brooks Green Silence) and got a chance to try them out today. Although they are light and roomy, when I run in them I get the sensation that they will cause blisters if I run long enough. While I did not get any blisters on today's run, one of my toe nails rubbed on the top of the shoe causing it to get sore (cause of black toe nail syndrome). Another negative aspect of the shoes is that they make me look as if I stole them from Ronald McDonald's locker at the chain's headquarters. Rachel thinks they are hideous, and I don't disagree.

Hamburgler in the House

Since I began running in cross country shoes a couple of years ago I have not had problems with blisters, black toe nails, or sore feet. It is counter intuitive because the shoes have no cushioning, fit snug, and have little room for toe or heel movement. People at races see my shoes and ask how my feet are holding up, and when I tell them my feet are fine they look skeptical (they of course are wearing cushioned clunkers).

I believe that high heeled running shoes should not be worn on grass trails or uneven terrain. When I wore this type of shoe when running trails I could feel the instability of the foot when it tried to plant on the non-flat surface, and my ankle would sometimes turn unnaturally. I consider myself lucky that I never sprained/broke a bone in my ankle due to this poor choice of footwear. The low heeled shoe allows the foot to land with more grace and strength, and I have yet to feel the sensation that my ankle is about to turn and break. At last weeks Howl I was running behind a man on the part of the course which has bumpy grass, and I watched him fall painfully to the ground due to his ankle turning. His shoe of course was a high heeled clunker, and I am certain that was the cause of his fall. He may have suffered a serious injury due to his inappropriate shoe choice.

Cross country shoes are not good for roads, though, at least for an average runner like myself. After a few miles I can feel the hardness of the surface begin to wear on the soles of my feet. So getting a bit of cushion is probably the way to go for 5k-longer road races. I still look for a low heeled shoe, as I don't see the need for a giant heel. While the Green Silence is comfortable enough for runs up to half marathon distance, I don't think my feet would approve if I ran 3-4 hours in them. I read of some runners who had success with this shoe for road ultras, but my foot size/structure is unfortunately not the right fit.

Today's race was more difficult than last years. I feel I am in better condition this year, but last year everything went perfect - started out moderately and was able to speed up at the half way point, and the final 3 miles had me wishing for a longer race. This year at mile 10 I was wishing for the race to be over because I was right on the threshold of exhaustion and pain.

I started out with a 7:46 first mile, it felt easy, but soon the sun popped out and I maintained an 8:00-8:10 pace for the remaining miles. I slowed during the final 2 miles, but nothing significant, so overall I ran a smart race, it just hurt more than I would have liked.

During the race I seesawed with 2 women who ran the Howl last week, they both ran in the low 40's, so they have similar speed and endurance as me. One of the women appears to be overweight and ungraceful, but I learned a while ago that how a runner looks does not equate with how they perform. I am a good example, as I have poor form and odd mechanics, but still manage to post above average results. So although I do not like the idea of losing to an overweight woman with poor form, I was forced to acknowledge that she is a hell of a runner.

I also seesawed with a man dressed in a Burger King man suit. He wore a mask, leggings, coat, and the BK medallion. He passed me in the final mile, and I just had to shake my head and laugh. At various points in the race people would comment to me, "watch out, the Burger King man is right behind you!" At mile 11 I passed a group of junior high cheerleaders, and had to suffer the indignity of having the Burger King man pass me at that moment. The girls shouted to me as I ran their gauntlet - "your getting beat by the Burger King man!" :)

At mile 10 I saw a guy running barefoot, he was making it look easy. Also saw a guy running in the Vibram toe shoes, but his feet were slapping the ground clumsily, and I knew that couldn't be a good thing.

During the final 5 miles I found myself pushing harder than I wanted to. The psychology of racing showed its many faces as I tried to quell my competitive spirit. I knew that if I just slowed down a bit I would feel a whole lot better and the race would be more enjoyable. But seeing the Burger King man and the 2 women from the Howl constantly within striking distance made it difficult for me to do so. Being passed is not pleasant, but neither is running near maximum heart rate - I have to pick my poison.

When I entered the track for the final 300m I surprisingly found myself behind Ken Welle. A few years ago we always finished races next to each other, but he became faster, I became slower, and I no longer saw him at the end of races. I guess Ken was having a tough day, he was running slow and I knew I could pass him. However, I have passed him numerous times during the final 800m of 5k's, but to pass him here at the tail end of a half marathon seemed a bit ridiculous. I turned around to make sure nobody was going to pass me, and when I found a 200m cushion I got in behind Ken and followed him around the turn. I then heard my name being called and turned to see Michelle M. standing and cheering in the bleachers. I was just as stunned to see her as I was Melinda at the Howl - what a great surprise! I followed Ken into the chute, crossing the finish in 1:45.

Today's race was 3 minutes slower and more difficult than last year's. However, upon checking the results I found that I placed 63rd this year compared to 97th last year - I guess most people had a tougher experience due to the humidity.

After the race I talked with Yong Zhen for 30 minutes (he is getting very fast, he ran 1:30), then went to visit with Michelle in the bleachers. She had come in from Chicago to see her sister run her first half marathon - Michelle is the best!

42 at the Howl

At the finish of the Howl at the Moon 8 hour race today I felt a wave of happiness which made me think this was one of the best days of my life. Something about running all day with the sun brings on emotions and images which have a peculiar, positive energy.

I finished with 12 laps, same as last year, but I finished the 12 35 minutes faster today. However, I was forced to wait around the start/finish line for 18 minutes before being allowed to run the final 30 minutes on the grass 1/4 mile out and back. I was able to run 2 1/2 miles during those final 30 minutes, which brought my total mileage t0 41.98, 2 miles more than last year.

Melinda's appearance at the start of my 5th loop helped me through the roughest part of the race. When she left 3 loops later I decided to walk until my heart rate reset. Sometimes it won't back down, but after 1 mile of walking I was able to start running with more confidence, and the race became easier after that.

I ran up the one hill on the course on the first 11 loops, and decided I was too tired to run it on the 12th. Last year the same thing happened.

I lost my appetite after the 5th hour due to the heat, but the lemonade and occasional salted potato gave me enough calories to finish without losing much energy. Melinda's magic honey also helped.

The weather at the start of the race was decent, low 70's with cloud cover. At the half way point the sun popped out, causing the temperature to rise to the mid 90's with high humidity. Battling the heat was my toughest challenge.

I ran the final 2 1/2 miles barefoot (the loop was all grass). I got some funny looks, and 2 people didn't seem too pleased about my choice of foot apparel.

My health was good, I had no leg/knee pain at any point in the race, which gives me confidence that I may have turned a corner with my knee injuries.

I was using this race as an indicator of my fitness, especially toward the idea of running a 100 mile race in the autumn. I passed the test, however, I am uncertain I can withstand the pain and discomfort which will intensify past the 50 mile mark. While I am not completely wiped from today's effort, I can't wrap my head around how bad I will feel during a 100 miler. Don Frichtl summed it up well when I asked him when he last ran a 100 miler. "5 years ago, just enough time for me to forget how painful it was." I will see how my recovery goes, then decide whether to register for a 100 mile race.

Arkansas Traveler 100 and the Perfectly Preserved Moth

Now that Lean Horse 100 is off the table, I have been searching for a 100 mile race in the autumn. The Arkansas Traveler 100 is in early October, which seems to be a perfect time to run a 100 mile race. Still early enough in the season for a chance of warm weather, but late enough so that when the race is finished I can put an end to the season and take a 4-6 week break.

Do I have what it takes to run 100 miles? Am I properly trained? What happens if my stomach goes south and I start barfing on the course? What if my quads turn to cement at mile 65? These questions and other uncertainties flitted through my mind as I walked hills for 4 hours this afternoon.

This year I returned to my old way of training - run every other day, and when I want to feel extra fresh, take 2 days off. I did this method of training in Chicago and I found it suited me. The days off allow my body full recovery, which means that every run is quality. The days I don't run I usually spend walking. Lately the walks have been on the 2 hills in town. Walking is just as pleasurable to me as running, and with ultra races some portions of the race are spent walking hills, or even flat ground.

Yesterday I walked 3 hours, two at the cemetery hill. About an hour into the walk I found a moth laying directly on my well worn path. Even though it was on blacktop, it blended in so that it looked like a patch of grass breaking up the concrete. It was well preserved, beautiful colors and shapes making me wonder about the mysteries of life. I carried it home with me.

Tapering at the Track

The 2 weeks before an ultra are soft and easy, although the workouts I do are anything but. My plan during this taper is to work on improving my sprinting speed. No rhyme or reason to it, as long as it's anything but a distance run it's fair game.

The past 3 workouts I went to the track and did 150m sprints followed by a 50m jog repeated until exhaustion. The short recovery jog gives my heart just enough time to reset itself for the next repeat. Wednesday's workout was at noon in 95 degree heat and high humidity. The track smelled like a tire factory and the heat rising off the rubber made it feel 10 degrees hotter. I surprisingly felt strong during the run, and my willingness to work hard on a hot day paid off because today I felt faster and stronger than I have all year. It was only 80 degrees, with lower humidity, and no matter how hard I pushed during the 150m sprints I was in control of my breath. I felt like I could run for an hour so I decided to stop before exhaustion set in because I did not want to have sore legs leading up to the race.

My hope is that the short, fast running will increase my long distance cruising speed.

Feeling Good

I decided a couple of days ago not to register for the Lean Horse 100. Traveling to South Dakota (resulting in too much money spent on gas and hotel), only 2 weeks after the Howl (not enough recovery time), and the fact I had to abandon a long run at mile 17 were enough reasons to convince me.

However, after taking 2 days of rest after the aborted long run, I felt pretty good. I went to the track on Monday and did 150m sprints followed by 50m of jogging, repeated until exhaustion. After exhaustion set in I took off my shoes and ran 6 x 100m all out sprints in the grass. I felt strong in the workout, no apparent ill effects from the long run. The next day I was expecting my legs to be sore because sprinting/fast running usually does this to me, but I felt little soreness as I walked up and down the cemetery hill for an hour. As I walked the hill in scorching heat/high humidity, I realized I was feeling better than I have in a while. My hill walking days usually have traces of knee weakness, but my knees felt strong.

Today I plan on going back to the track to run the same workout as Monday. I want to increase my tolerance to fast paced running so that I can have a balance between running long and slow and short and fast.

I am contemplating running a 100 mile race in the autumn.

Busted

At work this morning I was thinking about what type of run I wanted to do in the late morning/afternoon. Initially I was leaning toward arboretum hill repeats run at 5k pace. But being 2 weeks out from Howl, I decided a long run was the smarter choice.

Sunday I ran a 13 mile South Farms loop, although I was planning to run longer. When I got home to refuel (mile 13), I was ready to walk out the door and then abruptly decided that I was through for the day. I had not gotten much sleep the prior 2 nights and I could feel a sluggishness which weighed on my mind and body. Physically I felt good, but I decided it was best to cut it short.

Today I had the same plan as Sunday, run as long as I comfortably could, which I was hoping would be 2 full loops for 26 miles. During the first loop I was thinking about the Lean Horse 100 and tried to imagine it was race day. I searched for a pace which I would have liked to run if I found myself at mile 70. If I found myself picking up the pace, I asked, "could I run this fast at mile 70?" If I answered no, then I slowed down. I did a lot of slowing down during those 13 miles.

Unfortunately I realized my quads were sore early in the run. I did 5 x 1000m hard loops at Busey Woods 2 days prior (at 1:00pm), and although that is not a lot of reps, the temperature was 95 degrees with high humidity. In normal heat I am probably fit enough to run 12 x 1000m loops, but the heat knocked me out by the 4th one, and I struggled to get to 5. Those 5 reps must have been tougher than I had anticipated because my quads had not yet recovered from the effort.

The positives for the day was it was only in the low 80's at noon, with moderately high humidity. I chugged along at 70 mile pace and covered the 13 miles in about 2:40. The easy pace left me breathing easy, so I tried to forget about my sore quads. When I refueled at home (mile 13) I ate more than I should have, and when I resumed the run, heading back to Busey Woods, I felt a bit bloated. The day now felt warmer, maybe 84-85, and by the time I got out of the woods I lost control of my breathing. It was similar to what happened at my 22 mile run at Mingo last month, although this time I could not blame the heat or a fast first 7 miles.

Within minutes I lost all energy and the will to continue. I thought it was just a bad patch that needed to be worked through, but once I started walking I knew I was done for the day. It felt similar to a bonk, although I am sure I still had some fuel left in my body. The same feeling overtook me a couple years ago at Wild Wilderness Race at Kickapoo. After 3 miles I lost the will and energy to run, and I had to jog the remaining 4 miles of the race. That day marked the end of my faster running efforts. I lost the will to run fast after that experience, and the following year all I did was run long and slow. The end of last year I started doing some moderate speed workouts, and this spring I picked it up a bit more. However, I have yet to recover my old capabilities, as I ran a 5k in July in 21:00, well off my normal times from 2 years ago.

Sometimes my body quits on me for reasons that are beyond my comprehension. I can easily accept it, however, things don't always go according to my wishes. I do what my body allows, and push it as far as I think it wants to be pushed. Maybe it is telling me that 100 miles is out of the question at this time. I will try another long run on Sunday or Monday, maybe it will go better. If not, my 100 mile dream is busted for now.

Lean Horse

Last week I realized I don't have any races planned after the Howl, which is only 2 weeks away. With ultras the sign up is normally well before race day, so I decided to plan and register for a late summer/early autumn one.

I began looking for 50 milers as that seems like a logical progression after running an 8 hour race. However, now that I have regained the health of my legs I contemplated signing up for a 100 mile race. Seeing there are not many races between 50 and 100 miles one has to take a leap of faith and hope that if one can run 50 miles, one can run 100. It reminded me of talking with the 1st time 50 mile guy at Devil's Lake - "if I can run 20, I can run 40, and I can gut out the last 10." As I was unimpressed with this line of thought at the time, I too am skeptical of people attempting to double down from 50 to 100. I most likely won't finish my first one, and if I do it will be a death march from mile 70-100.

That being said, the seeming impossibility of it and the chutzpah needed to even think one can achieve it the first time around makes me want to attempt it. It is not everyday that a task most likely headed for failure is contemplated and attempted.

The image of the man running up and down Blackwell Hill, when I was 22 years old, still lives in my memory. Even more so the words he spoke - "I made it 80 miles but was pulled from the course because I was taking too long to finish." He had been unable to finish but the fire was still in his eyes and he was in superb fitness and ready to try again.

I found a race in South Dakota called the Lean Horse 100. It is 2 weeks after the Howl. I am close to pulling the trigger on this one (clicking the submit registration button). The only thing holding me back is the financial burden it will place upon me when I return from the race. It is a question of how important the 100 mile quest is to me - am I willing to sacrifice in order to achieve something which had been burned into my spirit 22 years ago? I need to decide by August 8, the final day of registration...

At the Track

I rarely do running at the track, but yesterday I was planning to do hard 200m repeats and decided that I would go to the 2nd Wind track workout to test myself with a full 3 miles of hard running. I have attended only 1 track workout this year, about 3 months ago.

When I arrived at the track a light rain was cooling things off, but the sky cleared before we started. The group was doing 12 x 4oom with staggered starts, the slower runners beginning before the faster ones, so that everyone would be racing to the finish at the same time. I did 8 x 400m on Saturday on dirt roads, 12 sounded a lot tougher.

I did not use a watch, but someone was calling out times on a few of the laps, and I was averaging 85's, which is better than I expected. I managed to finish all 12, well, 11.5. On the final 400 I decided to go all out from the first step to see how long I could last. I had to stop at the 200m mark due to exhaustion. I didn't mind coming up short, I knew before I started the lap that there was no way I could sprint 400m, but it was good to push myself to the limit.

Not much to write about guitar playing. I am practicing 4-5 times a week, mainly playing along to old blues songs. I am working hard on soloing with the pentatonic scale. I have been getting better with the basic techniques - hammer/pull, vibrato, sliding, bending, mini bars. I am at the point of my practice where it is going to take 2-3 years of constant playing to get past the beginner's level of blues guitar.

Poison Ivy and all systems GO

Finally got a taste of poison ivy. With all the trail running I do, I am fortunate to have bypassed its unpleasantness until this week. I obviously picked it up at the 50k last week. Lots of itching and ugly blisters on my ankles, calves, thighs, and arms. No complaints, though, as my face is clear of it (for now).

Another reason not to complain is I made a quick recovery from the race, and have 2 relatively healthy knees (for now). I am already putting in strong training for the upcoming Howl race. Friday I ran 8 x 400m hard repeats on the arboretum dirt roads under noon time heat. Yesterday I ran 15 hard hills at the arboretum - 100m at 5k pace, 100m up the hill, followed by an all out 200m downhill/flat sprint. A 300m jogging recovery leading to the next rep. This also was done in noon time heat, and I wanted to stop at 10 reps, found a way to get to 12, and somehow willed myself to 3 more. Tomorrow I will do 200m hard sprints. It is time to get my speed on equality with endurance. I plan to do a 3-5 hour slow run early next week, which will lead me into the August Howl.

GO!

Devils Lake, II

I returned to Baraboo, WI, for a rematch with the Devil's Lake 50k. Here are a few memorable moments from the 2010 race :

• Passed a runner at mile 7 who looked like Bruce Dern in the film "On the Edge". I did a double look and said "you look like Bruce Dern", he replied, "At another ultra I was told I looked like Chris Christofferson".
• Bruce and I kept bumping into each other on the trail. When we were running along the shore of Devil's Lake he told me, "I'm gonna look for a place to jump in". He slowed down and I lost sight of him, but upon seeing me at the next aid station, he says "The lake was fantastic!".
• Bruce told me that during the initial 5 miles, run on ski hills, he fell face first on the Black Diamond (long, steep down hill), causing the left lens of his eyeglasses to fall off the frame. He did not notice the lens was missing until a mile later, when his vision became blurry.
• After telling me the story of the fall, I looked closely at Bruce's face and saw a bloody gash above his left eye, and some scrapes on his shoulders.
• Bruce and I finished within 1 minute of each other.
• Bruce finished as top master (0ver 60, and he still possessed the good looks of Bruce Dern).
• Every runner I saw carried a water bottle.
• I did not carry anything, hoping to get by on aid station water and grub. It worked.
• I banged my left forefoot on a sharp rock early in the race. A few miles later it turned into a hot spot, but I was lucky that a blister never formed.
• Both knees worked fine for the entire race, no pain!
• I ran most hills, but walked the bluffs because they were steeper than the two hills I train on.
• Coming down the 2nd bluff I heard a loud locust, but the runner ahead of me declared "Rattlesnake!" We stopped instantly and proceeeded with care. I looked but did not see the snake in the tall grass next to the trail, and got away from there in a hurry.
• I ran a consistent pace throughout the race, never going too fast or too slow.
• I got lost once, but recovered within 1/4 mile.
• I saw a young man at mile 10, he was running his first 50 miler. He told me "I trained by running a few 20 milers. I figured that if I can run 20, I can run 40, and the last 10 I can gut out." He was breathing heavy, as if he was running a 10k. I wanted to tell him that he should be breathing easier at this early stage of the race, but I held my tongue. I gave him a 5% chance of finishing (It was getting hotter, he would have to cover the bluffs 4 times instead of twice, and 50 milers can decide to drop down to 50k at the half way aid station), and if he did finish, a 95% chance of death marching the final 15 miles.
• I was looking forward to drinking the lemonade that I stashed in my drop bag at mile 17/19. I shared some with a woman who ran the 1.5 mile hill with me leading to the aid station. She loved it.
• I did not pee once during the race.
• I crossed the finish line in 6:09 (chip time 6:08). My time from 2009 was 6:22.
• Was a bit nauseous from the heat after the race, but felt better after showering and eating a meal of pancakes and hash browns with a tall glass of chocolate milk.
• Before bed I ate 8 pieces of cheese pizza and drank lemonade.
• I got up 3 times during the night to drink water.

Injured? II

Not much going on with guitar, just the usual daily practice of scale work and finger relaxation exercises.

After the weekend tennis blitz a large section of my right leg was hurting. Fortunately it wasn't serious and by Thursday all was well.

However, on my run that day my left knee started feeling funny at the beginning of the run. I had jogged to Busey Woods and began my usual 1000m hard repeat loops. I wasn't sure how many I was going to do, I just wanted to push as far as I could go. From the first loop I was feeling the best I have all year. The past 2 times at Busey I stopped at 5 reps due to high heat/humidity. Thursday the temp was 70 with low humidity, it was a big difference. I was moving fast, breathing easy, and the icing on the cake was that I had dropped 9 pounds since May 1. I was now at the upper end of my racing weight, I still want to lose 5 more pounds, but at least I got the excess weight off.

At rep 3 the left knee started to bother me. I first felt this odd sensation at boot camp when doing squat jumps across the gym. I now realize that not having done squats my entire life, boot camp was pushing me too fast and hard in that area. Push ups, no problem, ab work, ok, but squats/lunges are too much for my knees. The day after boot camp the knee felt fine and I was able to put in some big runs in the coming week, so I didn't think too much of it. The day before my Busey run I went to Brookens on my own and did the usual set of exercises, which now include squats/lunges. I felt no pain in the knee, but at rep 3 the next day it started to hurt. Feeling so good otherwise, I was reluctant to stop. At rep 4 the pain subsided 50%, so I decided to keep running and ended up with 10 reps, which is a great workout and gives me confidence for the upcoming ultra.

That evening the knee was weak when walking up and down stairs. I have been through so many injuries the past 2 years that I was not dazed, I just got the ice and decided I needed to rest until it started feeling better. I took Friday and Saturday off, although I did 2 hours of walking on Friday.

Today I was still planning to run the Freedom 5k at Assembly Hall, but I wanted to make sure my knee was strong enough, so I rode my bike to the arboretum 90 minutes before the race and did some exercises and a couple of hard hill repeats. The knee felt better than Friday, still some weakness, but strong enough for a hard 3 miler, so I rode my bike to Assembly Hall and registered for my first 5k in 2 years.

I warmed up by myself between the long stretch of walkway between the Hall and the Tennis Complex. I felt pretty good, and the knee was 85%. I stayed out late last night, drinking beer, which I normally don't do, but no big deal, I just wanted to get a short hard run in before the 50k this Saturday.

Standing at the start line I told myself that time and place were not that important today, just run my own race. The plan was comfortably hard the first 2 miles, and uncomfortably hard the final mile. I took it nice and easy the first mile, someone said the split was 6:56. Faster than I expected, so that made me happy. Second mile I still felt good, did not slow down, and when I hit the 3rd mile I started to push a little harder. It was a hot day with high humidity, and I saw a few people walking toward the end, and one young boy bent over a trash can puking his guts out. I passed a few people during the final 800m and got into the chute in 21:02. That is a slow time when compared to 2 years ago, but I don't mind, it felt good to run hard, and my knee did not give me any problems.

After the race I was spent so I soaked myself in the sprinkler showers that were set up in the road, I had my eyes closed and was breathing heavy. I heard my name and opened my eyes to see Ken W. We slapped hands, and I said long time no see. I then walked to get a cold water bottle and saw Yong, he said he ran 18:15, pretty darn fast! As I talked to Yong, Pat Mills came up to say hi to Yong, and I got introduced to Pat. I have seen him numerous times at races, but never had a chance to speak with him. When Yong left with his wife I talked with Pat for about 20 minutes about ultra races. He has completed 2 100 milers, and one of my running goals is to participate in one of these races. I got some interesting stories and advice from Pat, so it was nice to make his acquaintance. I also saw Bill Dey, and we talked for a minute about our upcoming ultra races.

I was concerned about my knee as I finally got to the ice coolers to pick up a water bottle. I had stood in one place talking for 20 minutes and feared the knee was going to feel stiff and miserable. I was relieved to find that it wasn't too bad, it still felt 85% strength, so the race had seemingly done no harm.

The next couple of days I will care for the knee with ice and rest, and begin to mentally prepare for my first ultra race since last October at McNaughton Park.

Injured?

On Monday morning I woke to find that my right leg felt peculiar. I had some overall muscular soreness in my hips and legs due to playing an extended amount of tennis over the weekend, and playing 1 on 1 basketball is an activity that I am sure worked muscles that I normally do not use. But my right leg felt odd when bent and pushing off going up stairs or uphill. It reminded me of my IT Band troubles a couple of years ago, minus the knee stiffness. The fact that both my knees held up from the weekend makes me breathe a sigh of relief.

So instead of running on Monday I walked to the cemetery after work and walked up and down the hill for 20 minutes. Tuesday the leg felt a little better, which indicated that the injury is hopefully a minor one. I walked the cemetery hill again, this time for 30 minutes. I guessed that with 1 week of walking and no running, the leg may soon return to 100%. Today I woke to find the peculiar soreness to have dissipated further, so I am planning to walk the hill a little longer today.

Maybe by the weekend I can return to running. With the Devil's Lake race less than 2 weeks away, having to rest isn't going to hurt me too much. I am considering running my first 5k in 2 years this Sunday. I have no idea what my time will be, but I am guessing it will be nowhere close to the 18:48 I ran in my last one. I would be happy with 21:00, and would not be surprised with 22:30. I have slowed down a lot, but am enjoying running more than ever before, so speed is obviously not something which presently motivates me.

Yesterday I jammed to Buddy Guy again with the electric, and noticed a change/improvement in how I play. David showed me a Jimmy Page riff from Stairway to Heaven, which entailed a mini barre on the high e/b strings while pulling off with the pinkie. I had already been aware of using mini barres when leading, but my skills were not high enough to allow me to practice it effectively. This time things started to click and I was using the mini barre for much of my playing, allowing for more efficient note changes. Things are starting to get interesting with my playing....

Just Like Old Times

Wow. My old college friend David is on his way back to Chicago tonight after a weekend visit to my home.

We played tennis on Saturday morning, basketball at Brookens Gym on Saturday night, jammed guitars after basketball in my music studio, more tennis on Sunday morning, followed by playing catch in a field on Sunday afternoon.

The tennis matches were just as competitive and fiery as a decade ago. I admit I was expecting to cruise past David in tennis due to my physical conditioning and having practiced a bit the past 2 months.

However, on Saturday morning I found myself being blitzed by good serves and an array of better shots. I quickly fell behind 6-3, 6-4. We were playing a best of 5, and I was trying my best to not give up hope after dropping the first 2 sets. The day was getting warmer, and the humidity was high. My only flicker of hope was David faltering in the heat. My wish came true as the beginning of the 3rd set saw a decline in consistency and fight in David. He began to labor as I cruised to a 6-1 set victory. The 4th set I continued the comeback and won 6-4. David then summoned his fighting spirit and we battled even to 5-5, the winner having to win by 2 games. I thought of the recent Wimbledon match that went 70-68 in the 5th set, but we did not come close to that marathon, as I fought to a 7-5 set victory, taking the match 3-2.

In the evening we played one on one basketball, and I wish I had practiced shooting more in the previous months, but I played hoops at Brookens only 2-3 times in the past year, so I held out little hope of victory, as David plays in a Y league in Chicago. I lost the game 11-7, but it was an intense workout, we were both sweating and tired after it was over.

When we got home David played some songs on his Martin acoustic guitar, and then asked if I wanted to jam with him on my electric. We went into my music studio and I told him I had never played with anyone before, so I did not know how I would do. He began playing some rhythm riffs, one being Led Zep's Stairway to Heaven, and I found jamming to his rhythms similar to playing along to Buddy Guy on the stereo. Once I found the correct key all I had to do was play any combination of notes from the 5 patterns of the pentatonic scale. I did pretty good, and although my technical lead skills are minimal, I feel I am slowly improving. David was complimentary of my play, and I once again thought of my original plan to jam with Joseph and his girlfriend. I am still at least a few months away from doing that, but I am gaining more confidence with each passing month.

David gave me a gift of a Robert Johnson blues book which includes all 29 of his songs with tabs and chord diagrams. He also gave me a cool looking slide guitar thingy which fits on my fretting finger to allow slide guitar play. I am looking forward to learning how to use it.

After playing Rachel pulled some home made cinnamon rolls from the oven and eating the warm sweet rolls were quite a treat.

Sunday morning we decided to play the deciding match - it was considered even, 1-1, me winning in tennis, David winning in basketball. The humidity was high, but the heat not as bad. We decided to play a best of 3, as we did not want to overextend our level of tennis fitness. Realizing that David has superior tennis skills, I decided the best strategy was to attack relentlessly to throw him out of his comfort zone. I rushed the net constantly in the first set, and came away with a surprising 6-1 victory. David fought back in the 2nd set, taking it 6-4. We fought even in the final set, taking it to 7-7, until David finally pulled away for a 9-7 victory. The points were longer and more fiercely fought than the previous day, and although we played 2 less sets, the amount of time spent on the court (3 hours) equaled the time spent on Saturday.

When we returned home David had Rachel distribute the winner/loser gifts. David had his wife and kids buy gifts for the winner and loser of the tennis match, and they were wrapped with numbers written on them, "1" and "2". I opened my "2" gift and found a beautiful stone with the word "hope" engraved on its smooth surface. There was also a stone candle holder. I jokingly said to Rachel and David, "this stone says "tough luck loser, better luck next time". David received a similar stone with the word "strength" engraved on it, and a black metal victor's necklace.

After more guitar playing from David we went out to the Wiley School field and played catch under the hot noon sun. Soon after David packed up and returned to Chicago. We decided that I would visit him in the autumn for a rematch on his home turf. He stole home court this time, so I hope to do the same.

It was great seeing David - competing, jamming, talking and laughing.

Solstice

Rachel and I planned to be outdoors for the entire length of daylight today, but we woke to thunder/lightning, and since I have had a few close calls this summer with lightning, we decided to postpone the initial morning activity of biking to Homer Lake.

Rachel returned to bed, but I decided to run hills at the arboretum, and if the lightning got too close I would take cover at the laundromat across the street. When I arrived at the hill the wind picked up and the air temperature dropped about 10 degrees. It felt nice, and I began running up and down the hill at 50k pace (slow). Up and down, up and down, after an hour it started to rain, but the thunder disappeared, so I could breathe easy and enjoy the struggle. After 90 minutes the sky turned blue and the heat/humidity rose steadily. Unlike my long run 2 days ago where I was forced to stop after 4 hours due to heat/humidity, I was able to remain in control and continued running the hill until the 3 hour mark.

Walking home after, my confidence about the upcoming 50k increased, and I felt my fitness had improved so that if I was having a good race day I would not struggle until the final 8-10 miles, which means I should be able to finish.

After the hills I was feeling a bit tired and after collecting wood and mulch at the landscape recycling center I took it easy indoors by taking a nap for an hour.

When I woke the day had gotten hotter, and it was now too late to head to Kickapoo for tubing down the river. So I instead took a hike to the cemetery and walked the hill for 1 hour. When I returned home at 6:00pm I decided to call it a day and finally sat down to relax.

In the evening before bed I played guitar for 45 minutes, same old stuff - jamming to Buddy Guy.

My friend David from college is coming this Friday for a weekend of athletics - tennis/basketball/running. I am hoping our tennis match rivals our epic games from the 90's when we played together in Chicago.

Respite

The past week I noticed that I was not practicing the guitar on a consistent basis. This marked the first time since I began in January that I let my dedication wander to other things.

I thought of my 18 year photography quest and remembered that each August I would take a 1 month break from anything having to do with pictures. The hot weather was perfect for running and getting fit, being outdoors and just enjoying the flow of moments. While my guitar quest is not as serious, I know that the warm weather has induced me to concentrate on other things, such as running.

Having signed up for a repeat of last year's races, the DWD 50k at Devil's Lake in July, and the 8 hour Howl in August, the training has currently taken the focus of my energy and attention.

Back in December I injured the popliteal ligament in my right knee at the tail end of a 12 miler. Just like all of my injuries, I was not in any serious discomfort, however, whenever I tried running my knee would get stiff after 5 miles, and I could feel the ache in the back of the knee, which is where the ligament is located. Just like the winter of 2008, when I injured my right knee, I was unable to run long distance until the spring. I took all of April off, and when I returned I found that the ligament had healed - the ache behind the knee was gone, along with the front stiffness.

I am finally starting to round into shape, although my endurance base is small. I ran the Buffalo 5 miler in mid May, having run only 3 or 4 times in the 5 weeks leading up to the race. I averaged 7:30 miles, which is slow when compared to my previous times, but considering the circumstances I was pleased with the result.

Last Saturday I ran the Lake Mingo 7 miler, and finished in 1 hour. Last year I crossed the line in 56 minutes, and the year before that, 52 minutes. It makes me feel old when I see the 4 minute time increases, but last year I was concentrating solely on long runs, with no speed work, so the 56 minutes made sense, and this year I had a 4 month break from January-April, so the 1 hour finish also makes sense.

After last year's Mingo race I took a 20 minute rest, refueled, and ran 2 more loops for a 23 mile day. It was a great workout, a lot of fun, and it led nicely to the Devil's Lake race. Coming into Mingo this year I had run 2 x 12 milers and the week before the race a 17 miler, so I decided to push myself and repeat last year's training day. After the race I refueled and when I began the 2nd loop I literally ran into Tana R., a fellow ultra runner, who was also going out for a 2nd loop. We ended up running together for the 2nd set of 7 miles, and it made things go smoothly.

The day was hot with high humidity, and after the 2nd loop I was on my own and considered dropping the 3rd loop. I knew that if I stopped after 14 miles I would probably have a tough time at Devil's Lake, so I decided to press on, and by mile 2 of the 3rd set of 7, I was overheated and bonking. I was not upset about this, as I wanted to practice running while under distress. I felt similarly to mile 19 of my first marathon - the inability to will the body to run against any type of resistance. I had to walk the hills, but was able to run the flat areas of the trail. Unlike the marathon, my legs felt fresh, but the depletion of energy in my muscles made it impossible to run. When I reached the mid point of the loop I could feel the heat baking my head. I needed to cool down, so when I found access to the lake I splashed the muddy/slimy water over my head. That saved me for a couple of miles, and at mile 5 I found a large mud puddle, bent over and splashed the brown water on my head, face, and body. I had to walk the rest of the way, but I covered the distance, and was happy when I got to the car to drink the last of my lemonade and eat fruit - watermelon, blueberries, blackberries, grapes. I was too hot to stomach the pbj I had, so I contented myself with constantly splashing myself under the shaded water faucet and sitting on the picnic table.

This week I had some good training runs, although the hot days had brought my energy level down and was unable to do as many reps as planned. Tuesday I ran 12 hills at 5k pace at the arboretum, and yesterday 5 x 1000m hard loops at Busey Woods. Tomorrow I am planning to start the run at 5:00am and go for as long as possible, hopefully 2 full South Farm loops for 24 miles.

To balance the running, I am taking a boot camp class at the Park District, mwf from noon-1:00pm. That class is kicking my butt, lots of leg and core exercises that I have previously neglected out of ignorance. I have never had a 6 pack ab before, it would be funny if I finally got one at age 44.

Burned Blues

Today I played along with a burned blues cd. By the time I got to the final song my back was stiff so I decided to stop, but 75 minutes of playing the blues was fun practice. Each time I pick up the guitar I see progress, learn new things, or get some random insight. Because of this I consider myself lucky. I have read a lot of internet articles about beginning guitar, and I think I have had it easier than some people.

During the first month of playing I was concerned that my fingers were too short to be effective at playing, but I eventually stopped considering it, and decided to try my best with what I had. I not only have short fingers, but they are skinny. When I compared my hands/fingers with my 2 former teachers, they both had short fingers, maybe 1-2mm longer than mine, but mine were thinner. I think the thinness is a blessing since I can easily fit my fingers onto the strings without having them rub against adjoining strings. So although it could be better, it could also be worse.

One of the insights I had this week was the use of the “blue” note in the pentatonic scale. The blue note is D# (or Eb), and each pent. pattern has this note two or three times in different places. When I first began playing the pent. scale I knew only the blue notes on the key indicator pattern, not realizing, or caring, where the note was in the other 4 patterns. A couple of weeks ago I decided that the blue note was the note which made the blues the blues, and was too important a note to only use in one of the patterns. So I looked at my scale patterns and determined that the note was indeed D#, and so all I had to do was find D# wherever it occurred and mark it onto the scale patterns as a note which was to become a part of the pattern.

I now have the blue note memorized in most places, and the last few practice sessions I began to see how it could be used with effectiveness. In today’s session I could determine by ear when to use it, and it opens up options for soloing.

As usual, my fingers are becoming stronger, lighter, more relaxed as the weeks go by. My confidence is growing because of this, which makes me want to practice even more. When I read of the great musicians who practice 8-12 hours a day, I can understand where the motivation comes from. Having realized the gifts they have been given, practicing is not seen as a chore, but rather as something that will release the many latent abilities and skills which they know they possess. The less talented players don’t practice as much because they sense they have a limited amount of ability, and so practicing one hour a day is all that is needed to achieve their potential. The counter to this is what if the less talented player is wrong in their assessment, and more practice will yield more positive results. It all comes down to belief, will, love of the activity, and a sense of obsession with it.